Railroad signaling apparatus



iNoModel.)

R. B. SANDE RSON.

Railroad Signaling Apparatus. 5053 Patented May 24, I881.

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS, MUM Wuhhbn, D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT B. SANDERSON, BRIDGEWATER, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILROAD SIGNALING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 242,053, dated May 24, 1881. Application filed April 2, 1881. (No model.)

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RoBER'rB. SANDERSON, of Bridgewater, in the county of Bucks and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Railroad Signaling Apparatus, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description.

Figure l is a l'rontelex'ation of my improve- Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of Fig. 3 is a sectional front elevation of the same, taken through the line y 3 Fig. 2.

The object of this invention is to promote accuracy and convenience in displaying railroad-signals.

The invention consists in constructing a railroad signaling apparatus of a box having signal-colors painted in sections upon its side, a pivoted skeleton-plate, a pulley and cord, and a cord and weight, or equivalent spring, whereby the signals can be displayed by adjusting thesaid skeleton-plate, as will be hereinafter fully described.

A represents a box of any desired size, and which may be made of hexagonal or other desired shape. 7 Both sides of the boxA are made alike, so that the same apparatus can be used for signaling trains coming in either direction. The face of each side of the box A is divided into quadrants, which are painted alternately white and red, the opposite qua rants being thus of the same color. In the illustration shown in the drawings the vertical quadrants are white and the horizontal quadrants are red.

Through the side of the box A, in the middle part of the upper quadrant, is formed an aperture, B, for the light to shine through in giving night-signals, in which aperture B is secured a plain glass plate.

In hearings in the center of the side of the box A works a spindle, O, to which, at the outer side of the said box A, is rigidly attached a skeleton-plate, D, two opposite quadrants of which are closed and the other two quadrants are open, so that when the closed quadrants are vertical, as shown in Fig. 1, the white quadrants of the side of the box A will be coveredand the red quadrants uncovered, thus displaying the day danger-signal. When the skeleton-plate D is turned to bring the closed quadrants into a hoiizontal position the red quadrants will be covered and the white one.

uncovered, thus displaying the all-right signal.

In the upper closed quadrant of the skeletonplate D, in such a position as to be opposite the aperture B, is formed a corresponding aperture, E, in which is secured a plate of red glass, so as to display a night danger-signal when the skeleton-plate D is in position to display the day danger-signal. When the skeleton-plate D is in position to display the allright day-signal the aperture B is uncovered, displaying a white light as an all-right nightsignal.

The skeleton-plate D may be kept in place by guides attached to the box A, or the spindle G can be extended outward and brace-wires F attached to its end and to'the edge of the said skeleton-plate D, as shown at the left-hand side of Fig. 2.

To the spindle 0, inside the box A, is attached a pulley, G, to which is attached and around which is coiled a cord, H. The cord H passes out through a guide-hole in the side of the box A, and to its outer end is attached a handle for convenience in grasping the said cord.

To the inner end of the spindle U, or to a small drum attached to the end of the said spindle, is secured a cord, I, which is wound around the spindle O in the opposite direction from the cord H.

To the end of the cord I is attached a weight, J, of sufficient gravity to turn the skeletonplate D and hold it in place. The weight J may, if desired, be replaced by an equivalent spring. The movement of the skeleton-plate D is limited and the said plate is stopped at exactly the desired points by a pin, K, which passes through a curved slot, L, in the pulley G, and is attached to the side of the box A. The weight J is so arranged that when the apparatus is left free the danger-sig nal will always be displayed, and the all-rightsignal will only be displayed by operating the cord I to turn the skeleton-plate D.

The light for the night-signals is supplied by a lamp or lantern, M, placed upon a shelf,

N, attached to the box A. Air to support combustion enters through holes 0 in the lower partot' the box A, and the heated air and smoke escape through a chimney, P, in the top of the said box A.

I have described the apparatus as having only two signals; but it may be made to give other signals by dividing the lace of the box into sections smaller than quadrants and using more c0lors-as, for instance, green for a cantion-signal--the skeleton-plate I) being made correspondingly.

With this construction the engineer sees nothing but the signal he is running at, and does not have his attention distracted by seeing the backs of the signals for the trains running in the opposite direction. The outer side of the skeleton-plate Dis painted black to serve as a background for the signal-colors, so that the engineer will be relieved from the uncertainty caused by the signals being shown against the sky as a background, where the signals may be rendered indistinct by clouds, and also by having the signals thrown against a background of foliage, which changes its color in the fall of the year, and thus makes l the signals indistinct.

Having thus described my invention, what; 1 claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters 1 Patent, is

1. In a railroad signaling apparatus, the combination, with the box A, having the signalcolors painted in sections upon its side, of the skeletouplate D, the pulley and cord G H, and the cord and weight I J, or equivalent spring, substantially as herein shown and described, whereby the signals can be displayed by adjusting the said skeleton-plate, as set forth.

2. In a railroad signaling apparatus, the skeleton-plate I), made substantially as herein shown and described, with openings corresponding in shape and size with the colored signal-sections to be displayed, whereby the different signals can be made by adjusting the said slreletoirplate, as set forth.

ROBERT E. SANDERSON.

Witnesses:

J AMES REED, ROBERT SANDERSON. 

